Los Angeles Lakers

Basketball's King apparently has the Midas Touch when it comes to pickleball too ... 'cause Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn tells TMZ Sports LeBron James' recent investment in the league brought BILLIONS of eyeballs to the sport!!!

LBJ -- alongside Kevin Love and Draymond Green -- bought a team in the MLP back in Sept. 2022 ... and Kuhn tells us immediately afterward, interest in the org. absolutely exploded.

"This year, stories about Major League Pickleball hit 11 billion eyeballs," Kuhn said, "and the LeBron announcement alone was four billion."

Of course, the sport had been on the rise even before LeBron got involved ... the unique, tennis-like game is widely considered the fastest-growing activity in America.

And, while LeBron's inclusion in the action was huge for the league ... he's hardly the only sports superstar to jump into the mix. Everyone from Tom Brady to Drew Brees to Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka and Kevin Durant have bought into the MLP as well.

Even LeBron's best buddy, Rich Paul, is an investor -- and he told us earlier this month he could see it all eventually becoming a huge deal in the U.S.

As for if the NBA and NFL players would ever get ON the pickleball court ... Kuhn -- like the rest of us -- is hoping that happens soon.

Shannon Sharpe and Ja Morant's dad, Tee, got into a heated altercation at the Laker game Friday night ... with both sides needing to be separated before eventually making amends.

It all went down during the first half of the Lakers' home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena ... when the focus shifted from the court to the crowd.

Memphis guard Dillon Brooks and the FS1 commentator -- who had courtside seats for the game -- had been jawing back and forth during the contest ... when Dillon's teammates Steven Adams and Morant inserted themselves into the picture.

Adams can be seen barking at Sharpe ... as everyone else tries to restore some semblance of order. As the chaos ensues, Shannon and Tee got into a war of words, too.

In the video, Shannon appears to yell "I bet you won't" at Tee multiple times as staffers, security and referees get between them.

Shannon was then escorted out of the seating area and into the tunnel.

After the commotion, Shannon spoke to ESPN's Dave McMenamin at halftime and said it all started after he told Brooks he couldn't guard LeBron James.

"I said he was too small to guard LeBron. He said, 'F*** me,'" Sharpe told Dave. "I said, 'f*** you back.'"

Sharpe claims that's when Brooks came after him ... followed by Ja and his father, which led to him responding the way he did.

"They didn't want this smoke," said Shannon. "They do all this talking and jockeying, and I ain't about that jockeying."

"I wanted anything they had. Don't let these fools fool you now."

BTS rapper Suga might be a "boy with luv" for a new team -- the K-pop superstar was spotted hanging courtside at the Laker game on Thursday ... bringing his Warriors allegiances into question.

Suga hit up Crypto.com Arena as Los Angeles hosted the Dallas Mavericks ... and he appeared to be in great spirits, enjoying a cold beer as he checked out the action.

The guy's presence was clearly known to the players ... with Luka Doncic even dapping him up before the game.

Of course, Suga appeared to be deep in Dub Nation prior to the season ... getting his own custom Golden State jersey and hanging out with the team when they were in Japan for a preseason game against the Washington Wizards.

He was also getting close with Steph Curry ... who gifted him a pair of signed shoes after the matchup.

But, Suga might be swayed to the Purple & Gold now ... as the Lakers also got him a custom jersey prior to attending Thursday's game.

LeBron James had the best day off Wednesday, sitting courtside at son Bronny James' Senior Night game at Sierra Canyon ... where the 18-year-old hoops star went off!

Bronny, in his last year at SC, took part in the yearly tradition ... where H.S. seniors are celebrated before their last home game of the season.

LBJ and his wife Savannah pulled up to support their 18-year-old son -- rockin' black hoodies featuring Bronny on the back -- where they took photos on the court.

Bronny's younger brother Bryce, who also hoops for the Trailblazers, and his little sister, Zhuri, also posed for the pic.

The 18-year-old guard put on a show, too ... coming close to registering a triple-double. James put up 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in their win against Loyola.

BTW, LeBron wasn't the only star at Bronny's game, surprisingly ... Hip hop mogul Diddy was also in attendance, as well as former NBA player and Mavs assistant coach Jared Dudley.

Of course, this isn't the end of James' basketball career. He's set to graduate this spring, and he's received a ton of interest from colleges across the country, including Ohio State.

And after college, pops has made it clear he wants to play at least one season on the same NBA team as Bronny.

Kobe Bryant's game-worn jersey from his sole MVP season is about to hit the auction block ... and TMZ Sports has learned it could sell for a whopping $7 million!!!

The signed Purple and Gold threads are from Bryant's 2007-08 season -- the only time the legend won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award in his 20-year career -- which he wore for 25 games, including 6 playoff matchups.

Sotheby's, which is hosting the auction, tells us the item is the "most valuable Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey to ever appear at auction" as the Lakers legend "scored a total of 645 points over 8 months in this jersey."

He averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game that season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals.

What also makes the jersey so rare -- Kob signed the gear by writing his first name on the stitched number on the back.

FYI, this is also the same jersey Kobe was seen tugging on in the first round of the 2008 playoffs -- one of Bryant's most iconic photos of all time.

"This jersey has influenced popular culture in a way that is seldom seen in the sports community, becoming iconic and synonymous with the image of Kobe Bryant," Sotheby's said.

"In California alone, there are more than 15 murals depicting him in this jersey, with wings, American flags, and snakes in the background."

The jersey is expected to sell for anywhere between $5-7 million when bidding opens up on Feb. 2.

The current record for the most expensive piece of Kobe memorabilia is a worn, autographed jersey from his rookie year ... which sold for $3.7 million in 2021.

Forget champagne or a nice glass of vino ... LeBron James opted for hookah to celebrate Tuesday's win over the Magic -- and TMZ Sports has the vid of The King's smoke sesh.

James hit Barsecco in Miami in the hours after he and the Lakers dumped Orlando in Florida, 129-110 ... and you can see in footage we obtained from the popular lounge that he unwound from the big victory by blowin' some big clouds at the hot spot.

Witnesses tell us the NBA superstar got to the place at around 1:37 AM Wednesday morning ... and only stayed for a quick smoke -- leaving after about 15 or so minutes.

You can see in the clip, he was wearing the same outfit he wore to his postgame press conference Tuesday night -- a green and blue colored cardigan with plenty of jewelry on display.

Of course, James had to bolt from the place fairly early ... as the Lakers play again against the Heat in at FTX Arena on Wednesday night.

Turns out ya can't keep Lamar Odom out of Los Angeles ... because we've learned the former Lakers star is settling back into California, and he's picked up a swanky bachelor pad after spending some time in ATL.

A manager for Lamar tells TMZ ... he moved into his $15K-a-month rental Wednesday, just in time for the holidays. We're told he signed a 1-year lease on the home, located in The Oaks in Calabasas -- aka Kardashian territory.

The 4,445 square foot home is decked out with custom walk-in closets, a built-in BBQ area, a spa and waterfalls. The common areas are pretty awesome ... a gym, tennis courts and a clubhouse.

The house is big enough for Lamar's security and his kids, and he's excited to start a new life in this new place. FYI, when he and Khloe Kardashian tied the knot in 2009, they moved into a $4M home in Tarzana, not far from his new place.

Lamar was in Georgia for about a year ... and we're told he came to LA and was living with a friend the past few months, finally planting roots back in Cali.

Jeanie Buss just added another ring to her collection -- the Los Angeles Lakers owner is engaged to Jay Mohr!!

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the couple of several years recently took their relationship to the next level after the comedian got on one knee and proposed.

We're told Buss and Mohr -- who bonded over sports and comedy -- are ecstatic about how their love has developed over time ... and they're excited to spend the rest of their lives together.

The clues were there -- Jeanie has been spotted wearing a ring on that finger recently ... and sources close to the couple confirmed they are, in fact, engaged.

Jeanie and Jay started "quietly" dating back in 2017 ... and the two frequently attended Laker games together.

Jeanie has been head over heels for Jay ... and on her birthday last year, shared just how special he makes her feel in a mushy social media post.

"Happiness. Love. Joy," Buss said in September 2021. "That’s what you have given me on my birthday and every day in between."

Buss was previously engaged to coaching legend Phil Jackson ... but they announced their split in December 2016.

Mohr -- the former "Last Comic Standing" host and sports media personality -- was married to Nikki Cox for 10 years before filing for divorce in 2016.

Even though it was a school night, the stars still came out to celebrate Rich Paul's birthday on Thursday ... including his GF, Adele, and his BFF, LeBron James!!

The trio -- plus Tristan Thompson, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, and others -- hit Olivetta in West Hollywood for the festivities ... despite everyone having a lot going on this week.

James' Lakers play Friday night. Adele's Vegas residency continues then, too. Lue, meanwhile, coached the Clips in a loss to the Suns before hitting the bash.

Still, everyone appeared to be in great spirits ... and most (aside from Adele, who bolted early to presumably get back to Nevada) stayed out until midnight -- when Paul officially turned 41 years old.

The sports agent looked dapper for the party ... rockin' an all-brown 'fit, capped off with a pair of brown shoes.

James, meanwhile, looked great as well -- as did his wife, Savannah, who accompanied him on the date.

Didn't seem anyone brought gifts to the dinner for Paul ... but we're pretty sure at least one of the millionaires at the table picked up the tab for the guy.

Natalia Bryant -- Kobe and Vanessa's oldest daughter -- has been granted legal protection from someone she says poses a serious risk to her safety.

Natalia had court in L.A. Wednesday, where she gave some powerful testimony about things she claims 32-year-old Dwayne Kemp has done over the last few months to put her at risk.

Natalia called into the hearing and testified she doesn't know Kemp, but is terrified of what he's capable of -- scared at any moment he could show up. She called his actions "unsettling" and claimed at one point he even contacted her eyebrow beautician, offering to pay for services Natalia had completed.

Natalia's attorney Nick Sanchez tells TMZ ... the judge was convinced Kemp is dangerous enough to warrant a 3-year order of protection. Just as the temporary restraining order required ... Kemp now must continue to stay at least 200 yards away from Natalia, her home, her job, her car, school and sorority house at USC.

As we reported ... the 19-year-old got the TRO last month, claiming he’d been stalking her and was under a delusion they were in a romantic relationship. She says he started contacting her 2 years ago, when she was still only 17.

Under the new 3-year order ... Kemp cannot possess or purchase any firearms, and he has 24 hours to surrender any weapons he currently owns.

Ben Affleck made his annual visit to the Lakers-Celtics game in L.A., hitting the Crypto.com arena with his 10-year-old son, Samuel, where the guys sat courtside for an absolute thriller!

Ben, a huge Celts fan from Boston (and every other team in Beantown), and Sam, watched the Lakers battle back from 20 down, before rallying back. The game went to overtime and the Celtics ultimately won, 122-118.

Surprisingly, Ben and Sam weren't decked out in Celtics gear ... except for the actor's pair of green Nikes -- a nod to his home team.

Affleck wasn't the only celeb in the building ... Floyd Mayweather, Lou Adler and Hailey Bieber also attended the game.

For Ben, attending the Lakers vs. Celtics game in Los Angeles is somewhat of a yearly tradition. In fact, last December Affleck hit up the game with Jennifer Lopez ... and the couple packed on the PDA!

It looks like Ben and Samuel had a blast. As for the thousands of Lakers fans -- not soo much!

Larsa Pippen is sticking to her story, insisting to Andy Cohen she and Michael Jordan's son are just friends ... even as he sat just a few feet away from her on Andy's show.

The reality star played coy to the max on Monday night on 'Watch What Happens Live' -- where Marcus Jordan was in the audience ... for moral support, we're sure. 😉

Of course, Andy tried to grill her, asking Larsa what her ex, NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, thinks about her dating his nemesis' son.

Larsa totally tried to downplay it, telling Andy she has no idea what Scottie thinks about it, and says they've never discussed Marcus.

While she understands why people might have questions -- their 17-year age gap and the fact Marcus was a kid when Scottie and MJ were Chicago Bulls teammates -- Larsa says their families were never tight.

As we've reported ... Marcus and Larsa have been hanging out in public since September, often showing PDA around Miami, and looking every bit like a couple. Hell, the guy even flew to NY with her for Andy's show!

Santa Claus won't be visiting Patrick Beverley's home this year ... and it's not 'cause his kids have been naughty -- it's because the Lakers guard straight-up told them Kris Kringle isn't real!!!

The 34-year-old explained the wild decision to squash his kids' Christmas dreams on Barstool Sports' "Pat Bev Podcast" this week ... saying it's not about lacking holiday spirit, but more about getting credit for putting presents under the tree.

Beverley says he LOVES giving out gifts to his family members ... but every year, he makes it clear there ain't a jolly, fat man coming down the chimney.

"Them presents y'all getting ain't from Santa, that s***'s from me," Pat said.

The hooper says he even told the kids he's the one devouring the cookies laid out on Christmas Eve ... and gives his dietary preferences by asking for a soda instead of milk.

"That's me eating that s***, I just wanted to let you guys know," Beverley added.

Of course, the heartbreaking news didn't go over well for his son ... with Pat saying, "It looked like I killed him, or something ... He was destroyed."

LeBron James and Magic Johnson said Monday they're heartbroken to learn Norm Pattiz -- one of the Lakers' most famous superfans -- has died ... with the duo both penning tribute notes to the late broadcasting entrepreneur.

Johnson took to Twitter to share his homage ... calling Pattiz his "long time friend."

"I'll always remember Norm cheering on the Lakers from his floor seats & clapping on every possession & play with his program!" he said. "Sending my prayers to his wife Mary and entire family."

James, meanwhile, shared his heartfelt message on his IG page -- writing, "Rest in paradise Norm!!!"

Pattiz -- the founder of the original Westwood One and PodcastOne who was ultimately inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame -- reportedly passed away on Sunday. A cause of death was not revealed. He was 79 years old.

Pattiz gained notoriety at Lakers games for his courtside seats -- which he owned for over three decades.

The Lakers themselves paid tribute to him following the news of his death, sharing a pic of him in a custom Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal suit jacket at Staples Center.

"We will always treasure his spirit for the game and love for the team," the team said. "He will be missed."

Kobe. Shaq. Hugh Hefner.

A championship ring from the Lakers 1999-2000 season, issued to the legendary Playboy founder, is on the auction block at SCP Auctions!

Hefner received the 14-karat yellow gold ring, designed to the exact specifications of the players' rings after the Lakers beat the Pacers in the NBA Finals.

The face of the ring is paved in real-brilliant cut diamonds and has the words "World Champions" and "Lakers" on it. The ring also has ten large diamonds on the front ... five appearing on each side.

The ring has Hugh's last name, "Hefner," on one side, along with the Lakers' regular season record (67-15) and playoff record (15-8) that season. There's also a large diamond in the center of a basketball with the words "Bling Bling." The year "2000" is also engraved.

The ring comes with the original Lakers presentation box -- which has "Hefner" engraved on it -- and a letter of authenticity (LOA) from Hugh's family.

Hefner, who was 91 when he died at the Playboy Mansion in 2017, regularly attended Lakers games throughout his life ... and was good friends with late Laker's owner Jerry Buss.

The Lakers title that season, which they won in large part due to the dynamic duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, was the franchise's first championship since Magic Johnson led the team to a title in 1988.

The Lakers mowed down their competition during the regular season and defeated Indiana in six games in the NBA Finals ... the first of back-to-back-to-back titles.

Ex-Lakers champ Devean George wants to clear the dookie-smelling air ... telling TMZ Sports Shaquille O'Neal NEVER took a dump in his shoe -- despite a rumor saying otherwise.

Tyronn Lue initially started the gossip back in June on Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles' "Knuckleheads" podcast ... saying that the incident happened in the early 2000s, when he, George and O'Neal were all L.A. teammates.

According to Lue, Shaq was so pissed that George didn't bring donuts to a meeting ... he grabbed one of the small forward's sneakers, took a crap in it, and then put it back like nothing ever happened.

George then allegedly stuffed his foot in the shoe -- getting O'Neal's bowel movements all over his foot.

But, when we got the Devean out at LAX last week -- he called BS on all of the allegations ... saying nothing of the sort ever happened.

"Hell no, that's a lie, that's cap," George said, "and I know T-Lue started that."

"That never happened," he continued. "I think he did that to someone in Orlando. I don't remember the dude's name, but he did that in Orlando. But he never took a s*** in my shoes."

George said if it did go down, he and Shaq would have fought.

Instead, George said the two were very good friends -- and ended up winning three NBA titles together.

"He was a great teammate," Devean said. "He's a good guy. I love him."